Make sure to consider all the issues that impact you before you cast your vote. Graphic by John Dunn.
JOHN DUNN | OPINION COLUMNIST | jcdunn@butler.edu
With the U.S. elections just around the corner, millions of Americans are doing last-minute research and deciding who they will vote for on Nov. 5. Consequently, headlines are dominated by hot-button issues like immigration, abortion, gun control and foreign policy — especially at the national level.
However, the next wave of elected officials will be tasked with solving countless other, less-publicly debated issues. While you may have already made up your mind about your presidential vote, here are five important, but lesser-known issues that you should keep in mind when voting for senators, representatives and state or local politicians next week.
Social security reform
As a college student, retirement feels distant — I rarely think about it beyond imagining myself sipping strawberry daiquiris on a beach in the Bahamas. Many people expect retirement to bring relaxation after a lifetime of hard work. However, for millions, that dream depends on Social Security — a program that might not be around when current college students reach retirement age.
The general concept of Social Security is relatively straightforward. The program relies on taxes from the working-age population to support retirees and disabled members of society. But what happens when more and more people need Social Security, but proportionally fewer people are paying into the program via their tax dollars? The system becomes unsustainable, as the working population can no longer support the population drawing from Social Security. This predicament cannot be resolved without significant changes to Social Security’s current configuration.
Heather Hall, an adjunct professor of political science specializes in social work and large government social programs.
“I don’t think you can sit here and say [Social Security] is guaranteed to be there in 47 years [when current college students hit retirement age],” Hall said. “You just never know. I think it would be unwise to rely on [Social Security], but we can hope for the best and hope there is some reform to the system that ensures the longevity of the program’s benefits.”
Without significant reform, the Social Security trust fund is expected to run out in 2045. Consequently, current college students, who will still pay into the program in the short term, may never reap the rewards. Thus it is imperative that young people more actively advocate for themselves in order to protect their prospects of retirement.
In the upcoming election, there are two predominant trains of thought. First, on the Democrat side, Vice President Kamala Harris has promised to take steps toward fixing the system by increasing taxes on the wealthy. She has also promised to maintain current benefit levels. This plan would increase taxes, which is often unpopular but is in line with traditional attempts to fix Social Security.
Former President Donald Trump has also promised to protect social security benefits for those currently using them but has also promised to remove the tax on Social Security benefits being doled out. While this is undeniably helpful for current recipients using the program — who often struggle to make ends meet in an inflationary economy — it would further weaken the financial stability of the program. The former president’s plan would rely on a booming economy to generate enough tax revenue to support the new, more expensive Social Security program. Since it is unrealistic to expect an economy to boom forever, Trump’s plan seems more unstable in the long run. Thus it is more disadvantageous for young voters who benefit from paying into a system they know will exist when they retire.
Public education funding methods
Public education is one of the core pillars of what makes democracy a viable form of government. However, in its current form, public education is not created equal because not every school gets an equitable amount of funding.
As a specialist in social work, Hall has also seen the impacts of underfunded education programs firsthand.
“Kids that live in impoverished areas have access to education that is often underfunded,” Hall said. “They have less access to resources and opportunities than students in wealthier areas, based on how schools are funded based on property taxes … Those who live in poverty have a five times higher rate of dropouts, so they are not getting high school diplomas.”
Currently, a significant percentage of public school funding is sourced from local income taxes, meaning poorer communities have fewer resources, lower-quality staff and insufficient opportunities, thus trapping students in a cycle of poverty.
While it makes sense for taxpayers to want their money to benefit their children directly, this system ultimately leads to the perpetuation of inequality and the squandering of significant potential. Investing more in education across all communities has been shown to reduce crime, improve health and increase productivity. Shifting to a funding model based on student numbers rather than location may cost more initially, but it would reduce the need for costly social programs in the long run.
Former President Trump made waves during an X interview with Elon Musk when he said that if he were to be re-elected, he would shut down the Department of Education. In its place authority over education policy would be given back to the states, as was the case before the department began operations in 1980. While some educationally progressive states might benefit from such an action, it would leave significant concerns about school funding. Currently, roughly 10% of public education funding comes from the federal government, and it is unclear what would happen to those revenue streams under Trump’s stated plan.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s plan would call for a continuation of many of the policies implemented during the Biden administration. Education has not been one of the pillars of the Harris campaign, which is somewhat atypical for Democratic nominees. However, during her time as vice president, the Biden administration made efforts to increase accessibility for all students and support for marginalized communities within K-12 institutions. It is realistic to assume that such efforts would continue.
Artificial intelligence legislation
For many students and professionals, ChatGPT has transformed daily life. I first encountered it in an accounting class and was floored by what I was witnessing. A friend had even warned me to keep it secret to avoid its ban by professors as if it was some sort of top-secret technology.
However, banning adaptive software like AI has proven to be extremely difficult. Once AI became mainstream across the country, colleges had to instead adapt and find ways to integrate it into curriculums without compromising academic integrity. Now, the federal government faces a similar challenge on a much larger scale: harnessing AI’s potential while safeguarding society from AI’s risks.
Andy Zach, a Butler alumnus and Capitol Hill staffer, works with senators and their staffs daily and has seen how AI has become increasingly discussed in the Halls of Congress.
“There is a lot of attention on AI and what it means [for the United States],” Zach said.“It’s so broad and far-reaching when considering national security and economic competitiveness issues that AI is kind of overwhelming, and Congress is not in the position to be forward-leaning on technological policies. It’s something that is going to be a really big deal for us moving forward as a country.”
If AI leads to widespread job loss, military misuse, increased inequality or uncontrollable self-learning systems, the consequences could be severe. Congress is working on guardrails that prevent these outcomes but still allow AI to augment human productivity. Ultimately, decisions made now could, not to be overdramatic, shape the next chapter of humanity’s story. As AI evolves, it’s crucial to elect leaders who grasp its significance and long-term impact.
Artificial intelligence, when compared to the previous two issues, has not often been discussed by the current presidential hopefuls. The concept of AI is a recent addition to the national psyche and thus is not an issue that causes deep divisions about which presidential candidates can debate. That being said, both presidential candidates have offered some insight into their thoughts regarding AI policy.
The Harris campaign has stated that they are committed to following the precedent and outline set by President Biden’s AI executive order, which took effect last October. The order essentially requires AI tech developers to closely report their developments so that the effects of new AI can be monitored. The Trump campaign has stated that it would repeal the executive order and promote AI development in a manner that aligns with the principles of freedom of speech and development. Neither ticket has provided significant details about how their AI policy would specifically take shape.
None of the issues are likely to be brought up this year during Thanksgiving dinner, but all of them are important to consider when deciding who to vote for. Solutions to major issues always take time to negotiate, plan and implement, so the country that college students will inherit is being shaped right now. Thus, it is critically important to research a multitude of issues — both the big issues like abortion and immigration and under-discussed issues like these that are highlighted — before you cast your vote next week.
